Chest or container structure



M. SCHOEN CHEST oR CONTAINER STRUCTURE Filed March a, 1947 April 8, l1952 Patented Apr. 8, 1952 UNITED STATES orifice:I 4

6 Claims.

This invention relates to portable containers, boxes or chests which may be used for many purposes,v such as for holding tools,` yarn and other sewing utensils, confectionary articles etc. Such containers may, therefore, be made of wood, plywood, metal or any other suitable material, such as cardboard, plastic and plastic composition.

Containers or boxes of the portable type and of heretofore known structures have certain drawbacks in that the tray or box sections of which such container consists, are swingably or otherwise hinged orl connected to eachother, so that access to a predetermined center or bottom section can only be had by swinging either all sections of the structure to open condition or at least those sections which are located at that side of the container to which access is desired.

These known container structures employ a lever oit-brace system extending on the outer walls of the tray secttions,l so that the container becomes bulky and deficient in outer appearance.

The present invention overcomes these and other disadvantages and has as one of its objects the provision of means facilitating independent arrangement and movement of the tray or drawer sections of the container and also permitting their stepwise or stairwise disposition to each other, when the container is entirely open and alfords substantially full access to any and all of said drawer sections.

It is another object of this invention to provide means aording a very compact and space saving holding and carrying device of the aforesaid character in which any suitable articles may be quickly accommodated and stored.

A further object of the present invention is to provide means oiering the possibility of holding articles in a desired and orderly fashion, ensuring a rigid and inexpensive container structure, which may be manufactured by mass production methods and which in closed as well as in extended or open position is stable, fulfills all desirable requirements of the practice, and is aesthetic in appearance.

Yet, another object of the invention is the provision` of means reducing the surfaces of frictional engagement of the tray or drawer sections of said container to a minimum, aiding in the guidano of saidY sections with respect to each f other dufing sliding movement', and contributingto a. simplified assembly of the sections or Darts, of which the container consists.

Still, a further object of the invention is to provide means enabling the reinforcement of the 00111191' Parts 0f ,Said Cirami Q1 tlfalf StQlS. @lid the formation` of: stops' which limitV and adiust. the sliding movements of said sections.

A still further object of the invention `is the provision of means rendering possible4 the longitudinal sliding movement of said drawer sections with a predetermined additional throw.

Other objects of the invention. will. be pointed oui in the following description and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawing whigh discloses, by- Way of example, the principle of the invention and a, preferred mode which has. been contemplated of applying said principle.

In the drawing: i

Fie 1 is a longitudinal Sectional. view oi ill-o container embodying the, invention, the dran/,es sections of one side of said container being shown in open or extended position.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the container, as seen in Fig. l.

Fig. 3 is a crossfsectional view of the container taken along line 3:13 of Eig. l as seen from` the bottom of the container. Y

Fie. 4 is a vertical. sectional View of tho oon-V tainertaken along line lle-. 5 of; liig.l l. l

Fig. 5 is a sectional View of the slide Qi the container, as seen in one position.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the slide of Fig. 5 in another position,

Referring now more, particularly to the drawine, there is shown in Fis, l va cabinet in `.form of a vchest or container I u made in accordance with this invention. container may be,A made from glass, wood, metal, plastic, plastidcomposition oranyother suitable mass.` 1n this instance,

` the container is supported on pairsofY legs-I I and Container In has a-base-or lower compartment i3 forming a common Support tor the drawer halves or drawer sidef partslll and I5., which in closed position of .Said .container oro diseased on the open top of Seid compaiimeni I3.-

Container sido pari IA includes holding oloments, such as drawer or tray sections 16,11, section I 6 being closed by a cover;- or lid i8 from which handle I 9 projects; the Container side part l5 consists of the. holding elements in the loro! of drawer sections 20 and 2l, of which Stion 2| is closeable by a slideable cover 22 providedy with a handle 2,3. Y

On the righi hood Sido of Eis 1.! @revers i0 and 2l as well as cover Z; are shown in th extended or open positions (full lines), whereas side part Ill is shown in its closed position.

It will be apparent from this 'carrier' or hold` ing structure Iii that side parts III and I5 with drawer sections l5, I'I and 2Il, 2| as well as respective covers I8 and 22 may be independently operated by sliding movements, for example, by employing handles I9 and 23, in order to obtain access to the interior of the respective drawer sections.

As seen in Fig. 1, the right hand portion of the lower` compartment I3 has been made accessible by moving or sliding drawer section in outward direction according to arrow A. It is Well understood that the left hand portion of compartment I3 may also be made accessible by moving drawer section I1 in outward direction according to arrow B. This access to the lower compartment I3 may be had without moving upper sections 2l, It and their respective covers 22 and IB to extended position, as may be easily realized.

Figs. l and 4 show the lower compartment I3 in section, having a bottom wall 24 and end walls 25, 25 to which said bottom wall is joined in any known manner. .The open compartment I3 has further the side walls 2'! and 28 which are provided below their upper edge with longitudinal grooves 29 and 35 for a purpose later described.

Abutting against end wall 25 and side walls 2I, 28 at their respective corners are `pairs of stop members SI, 32 which project somewhat beyond the upper rectangular edge 33 of end walls 25, 25 and side walls 2l, 25.` These projecting ends or" the stop members 3l, 32 are designated by numerals 3m and 32a (Fig. 1).

The channel-shaped recesses or grooves 29 and 3 5 are adapted to receive therein the projecting flanges 34, 35 of slide members about to be described.

All the slide members may be of the same dimensions. A pair of spaced slide members is preferably a'lxed to one end of the bottom of each drawer section and also to one end of each cover. In the present instance, the pair of slide members or rails 35, 37 which are aixed to the bottom of cover I8 by means of nails or other fastening means 38, are shown to be of lesser height and greater length than the pairs of slide members 33, @Il of tray section I5 and slide members ISI, 42 of the tray section I'I.

As it is well apparent, the pair of slide or rail members 35, 55 is affixed to the underface of bottom 43 of section I Irby means ornails or. other fastening means fifi andso is the pair of slide or rail members` All, 52 'affixed to the underface of bottom 55 of section I'I.

This same arrangement applies also to the right side part I5 of the container I5, as it has been just described with respect to the left side part Irl and its respective sections.

`Asvmay be realized from the open or extended right side part I5.of the container I0, tray section 29 is providedV with a pair of stop members [l5 similar to and arranged in like manner as the pairs of stopmembers 3| and 32, as seen in Figs. 1 and 8. A further pair of stop members 41 is arranged within drawer section l1 and both these pairs of stop members ,d6 and 4'! project beyond the upper edge of the respective tray sections 20 and I'I to form projecting ends 46a and lilla, respectively.

All these pairs of stop members are adapted to reinforce the respective corner portions of the lower compartment I3 as well as those of the tray sections I'I and 25. Y

In order to more clearly `explain the function and relative positioning of the tray sections and covers with respect to each other, tray section 2II is hereinafter more fully described and it is well understood that such description applies also to the remaining tray sections.

Drawer or tray section 2B has the end walls 5U, 5I and the side walls 52, 53 to which walls is joined the bottom wall 54. Within the corner portions formed by the end wall 5I at the side walls 52 and 53, respectively, is positioned the pair of stop members 45, as it is well vapparent from Figs. 1 and 3. End walls 5I) and 5I project somewhat below the bottom wall 5ft, as may be seen from Fig. 1 and so do the side walls 52 and 53 inra manner that the pair of slides 55 which is attached to the bottom 5d of tray section 2) by means of nails 55, will be accommodated within the respective recessed corner spaces and projects therefrom in downward direction beyond the projecting side and end walls 5,5, 5I and 52, 53. It is further to be observed that the pair of slide members 55 abuts against the end wall 55 and adjacent side walls 52, 53.

As can be further seen from Fig. l, side wall 52 is provided at its upper end with a longitudinal groove 52a. In a similar way, side wall 53 is pro` vided with a longitudinal groove so that a pair of slide members 69 ixed to the bottom 5I of tray section 2I, which is of identical construction as pair of slide members 55 or I and i2 (Fig. 4), may move or slide along such longitudinal grooves provided in said side walls 52 and 53.

Let it be assumed that the container I3 is in closed condition and the right side part I5 assumes a position as indicated in dot-dash lines (Fig. l). Ii it is now desired to obtain access to the right side of the lower compartment I3, all that is to be done is to slide tray section 20 as aforesaid in the direction of arrow A while the upper tray section 2| and cover 22 may remain in superposed position on each other and are carried by tray or drawer section 2Q. During movement in the direction of arrow A, section 20 is guidedby means of the pair of slide members 55 along the guide grooves 23 and 58 until the pair of slide members 55 abuts against the projecting ends 32a of stop members or means 32 which latter are xed on end wall 26. These projecting ends 32a during such sliding movement of section 2!) engage with extremely slight friction the lower surface of bottom 54 and the inner edges 52D and 53D of the downwardly projecting side walls 52 and 53, respectively so that although relatively short slide members 55 are employed, tray section 20 will be securely guided with a minimum of frictional surface engagement.

If it is now desired to also open tray section 2B, all that is to be done is to move tray section 2i in the direction of arrow C relatively to tray section 29, as it is apparent from Fig. l, and if it is desired to open or get access to tray section 2I,

` cover 22 is to be moved in the direction of arrow D.

The same principle hereinbefore described in greater detail with respect to tray section 26, and

also mentioned with respect to compartment I3,

animee 4end walls of the respective tray sections, thus contributing to a perfect alignment of the superposed tray sections with respect to each other when the, container l0 is in closed condition. As aV consequence, a slight space 62 will be obtained so that direct contact of the. opposite'tray sections will beavoided and their damage or wear `will be eliminated.

As will be realized from Fig. l, the length of each pair of slide members is. so` chosen that in openv position of the respective tray sections at least two-thirdsof the open top of each section will be made accessible.

'Another advantage of selecting slide members of such reduced length is that when the tray sections are made from wood which can give or other springy material, the assembly of the container or its tray sections may bey accomplished in a more simplified manner. For instance, by

rsomewhat forcing the side walls 21 and 28 at their center portions in outward and transverse direction with respect to each other, engagement and disengagement of the pairs of slide members 4| and 5'5r with respect to grooves 29 and 30 may be easily eiected and thus the assembly and removal of the upper section or sections l1 and 20 with respect to the lower compartment I3 may be readily and easily achieved.

As seen from Fig. 1, the container may be easily grasped by means of handles i9 and 23 andcarried by the hand of a person from place to place.

The container l0 is shown in rectangular form, but it is well understood that the same may assume any other contour and designs while the same principle as hereinabove described is applied to said container.

In the embodiment shown, at least two-thirds of the respective open ends of the tray sections may be made accessible in extended or open position of container l0. In some instances, it might be preferred to increase the accessibility of these tray sections. .To this end, reference is herewith made to modied, yieldable slide members, as exemplified in Figs. 5 and 6.

These figures are fragmentary sectional views of a corner portion of compartment I3, the section being taken at a level similar to that shown in Fig. 3. Against stop 32 abuts a slide 10 which, in this instance, consists of two spaced slide portions 1I and 12 which are interconnected by a rod member 13 carrying a coil spring 114. Rod 13 is xedly anchored within slide member 12 at 15 and has an extension 16 which is guidedly positioned within slide portion 1I and terminates into a head piece 11 adapted to rest within a correspondingly shaped recess 18 within slide portion 1|. Slide portion 1l, as may be realized fromrFigs. 5 and 6, is fixed as by nails 19 tothe bottom of the superimposed tray section (not shown), whereas the spaced slide portion 12 is securely held in its position and in sliding engagement with a suitable groove (not shown) by means of said rod 13.

abuts against stop, member 32, the rod extension,

1.6 will be pressed to project beyond slide portion 1l which will then be moved against the action of spring 14 toward slide portion 12, as seen in Fig. 6. Thus, an additional throw orstroke may be obtained to make the compartment ortray positioned underneath slide member 1i! accessible to a larger extent. Upon release of the pressure exerted against the tray section in the direction of stop 32, as indicated by arrow E, the slide portions 12 and 1| will be retracted orV led back to normal position by means. of the action of spring 1li, as indicated in Fig. 5.

Such modified slide arrangement may be very advantageous in connection with heavy tool chests and similar devices.

It goes without saying that the aforesaid elements in form of tray sections may be equipped with partitions (not shown) or inserts provided with recesses for holding` and accommodatingV tools or other implements.

Instead of trays or drawers, as seen in the drawing, plate-like or similarly shaped elements may be employed, as long as sliding, guidi-ng and limiting movements thereof correspond to the principles of this invention set forth herein It becomes now apparent that there has been providedaccording to this invention a box structure, chest or like container comprising an elongated base compartment with an open top formed by rectangular-shaped walls, side walls and end walls, respectively, at least two drawer sections arranged in side by side relation to each other and adapted to slide along the side walls of said base compartment, each of said drawer sections having a bottom wall, two end walls and two parallel side walls, said end walls and said side walls of each drawer section projecting downwardly beyond said bottom wall, a pair of slide members xed to the bottoms of said drawer sections so as to abut against one end of said end walls of each drawer section, stop means spacedly arranged from each other and afilxed to opposite end walls of said base compartment therewithin, said stop means projecting beyond said rectangular-shaped walls for sliding engagement with the bottoms of said drawer sections, respectively, said stop means lengaging opposite end walls of said drawer sections in closedcondition of said base compartment, and groove means for engagement with said slide members-di`sposed at the adjacent side walls of said base compartment, said slide members abutting against said stop means rin extended position of said drawer sections, whereby access to said open top of said base compartment may be had. y

Asl many possible embodiments may be conceived of the above invention, and as alterations or changes may be made in the embodiments above set forth, it is to be stated that alll matters hereinbefore explained or shown in the accompanying. drawing, are to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limitative sense.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured b Letters Patent, is: i

1. In adrawer structure having a bottom and two parallel side walls projecting downwardly beyond said bottom, and a support for said drawer structure therebelow;` the combination of a pair of slide members xed to the underface of said bottom and at one end of said downwardly projecting side walls, with guide means spacedly arranged fromV each other on said support, said guide means extending to said bottom and slidably engaging said bottom and said downwardly projecting side walls during sliding movement of said drawer structure, and groove means disposed for engagement with said slide members and carried by said support.

2. A drawer structure comprising a bottom, two end walls and two parallel side walls, said walls projecting downwardly beyond said bottom, a support for said drawer structure positioned therebelow, a pair of slide members fixed to the underface of said bottom and at one end wall, said slide members being spaced from each other and disposed at one end of said downwardly projecting side walls, and upwardly directed guide means spacedly arranged from each other on said support and projecting therebeyond for position adjacent the opposite end wall of said drawer structure, said guide means extending for contact with and slidably engaging said bottom and said downwardly projecting side walls during sliding movement of said drawer structure, said support being provided with parallel grooves disposed for engagement with said slide members, whereby said drawer structure is slidably guided with respect to said support, said guide means forming stops for abutment of said opposite end wall in one position and of said slide members in another position oi said drawer structure relatively to said support.

3. A box structure, chest or like container comprising an elongated base compartment with an open top formed by rectangular-shaped walls, side walls and end walls, respectively, at least two drawer sections arranged in side by side relation to each other and adapted to slide along the side walls of said base compartment, each of'said drawer sections having a bottom wall, two end walls and two parallel side walls, said end walls and said side walls of each drawer section projecting downwardly beyond said bottom wall, a pair of slide members fixed to the bottoms of said drawer sections so as to abut against one end of said downwardly projecting side walls and one end of said end walls of each drawer section, stop means spacedly arranged from each other and aiixed to opposite end walls of said base compartment therewithin, said stop means projecting beyond said rectangular-shaped walls for slidingIr engagement with the bottoms of said drawer sections, respectively, said stop means engaging opposite end walls of said drawer sections in closed condition of said base compartment, and groove means for engagement with said slide members disposedat the adjacent side walls of said base compartment, said slide members abutting against said stop means in extended position of said drawer sections, whereby access to said open top of said base compartment may be had.

4. A box structure, chest or like container having an elongated base compartment with a rectangular top edge, a plurality of pairs of drawer sections arranged on said top edge of said base compartment in closed condition of the latter, each pair of drawer sections being arranged in side by side relation to each other, each drawer section having a bottom and two parallel side walls projecting downwardly beyond said bottom, a pair of slide members fixed to each drawer section, said slide members being disposed at the underface of said bottom and at one end of said downwardly projecting side walls of each drawer section, said slide members being positioned adjacent each other, respectively, on each pair of drawer sections when said base compartment is in said closed condition, and stop means for said slide members, said stop means being spacedly arranged from each other and aiiixed to said base compartment and projecting beyond said top edge to extend for position at said side walls and adjacent the bottom of the pair of drawer sections above said base compartment, said top edge of said base compartment being provided with grooves disposed for engagement with said slide members.

5. A drawer structure comprising a bottom, two end walls and two parallel side walls, said walls projecting downwardly beyond said bottom, a support for said drawer structure positioned therebelow, a pair of slide members iixed to the underface of said bottom and at one end wall, each of said slide members being provided with a movable portion and with a iixed portion, said portions of said slide members being movable relatively to each other and being disposed at one end of said downwardly projecting side walls, and stop means arranged on said support and projecting therebeyond for position against one end wall of said drawer structure, said stop means guidingly engaging said bottom at said downwardly projecting side walls during sliding movement of said drawer structure, said support being provided with parallel grooves disposed for engagement with said slide members, whereby said drawer structure may be slidably moved with respect to said support, said stop means being adapted for engagement with said one end wall in one position and with said slide members in' another position of said drawer structure, said slide member portions being relatively movable with respect to said stop means whereby said drawer structure may be additionally slid relatively to said support.

6. A structure of the character described comprising an elongated support, at least one element adapted to slide on said support, said element having a bottom wall, means projecting downwardly beyond said bottom wall and spacing the latter from said support, slide members xed to said bottom of said element, and stop means positioned in the path of said slide members and affixed to said support to project therebeyond, said stop means slidingly engaging said bottom of said element and extending into the space formed by said downwardly projecting means, said support being provided with groove means disposed for engagement with said slide members, said slide members abutting against said stop means in one position of said element, whereby access to said support may be had.

MORITZ SCHOEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 997,965 Cobb July 18, 1911 1,221,339 Labadie et al Apr. 3, 1917 1,568,212 Cygan Jan. 5, 1926 1,656,153 Smith Jan. 10, 1928 1,828,264 Villere Oct. 20, 1931 2,282,247 Reid May 5, 1942 2,364,409 Weiskopf Dec. 5, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 198,922 Germany May 29, 1908 

